The Inaugural Nigerian Diaspora Investment Summit, convened by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa in conjunction with the Nigerian Diaspora Alumni Network (NIDAN) led by Dr. Badewa Adejugbe-Williams, was held in Abuja from Tuesday, November 27th to Thursday, November 29th, 2018 at the Banquet Hall of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja Nigeria.
The summit was aimed at exposing the Nigerian Diaspora and other foreign investors to the immense opportunities and investment potentials that abound in Nigeria and had as it’s theme- Activating Diaspora Investment for a Diversified Economy
The summit organizers took cognizance of the fact that Diaspora Nigerians constitute the best group to target when designing strategies for attracting Foreign Direct Investment into Nigeria. and co-opted the participation of governmental agencies like the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC), Infrastructure Regulatory Commission, The Federal Inland Revenue, Ministries of Agriculture, Works, Housing and Power, Foreign Affairs etc
The summit started with a plenary session on Tuesday, November 27th, 2018 with a keynote address presented by the Rwandan High Commissioner to Nigeria- HE Ambassador Stanislas Kamanzi and attended by the Nigerian Ministers of Foreign Affairs Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, Works, Housing and Power- Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) and Agriculture Chief Audu Ogbe.
In her welcome address- the Senior Special Assistant to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa who was recently appointed as the first Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Diaspora Commision said that; “this inaugural summit aims to harness and showcase feasible and prospective investment opportunities with which Nigerian Diaspora investors can identify and readily explore. This summit also aims to demonstrate and roll out that targeting the Diaspora is an effective and sustainable strategy for attracting investment into an emerging economy like Nigeria.”
The Ministers in attendance addressed the conference on the potentials that abound in Nigeria in different sectors of the economy and urged them to plug in to help in the development of our fatherland. They also answered questions from the attendees and addressed their concerns on the bottlenecks that investors often experience in doing business in Nigeria
The highlight of the three-day summit was the address to the conference by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, H.E. Mohammadu Buhari represented by The Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo who gave an erudite address on government’s concerted efforts to involve the Nigerian Diaspora in National development as evidenced in the floating of the first ever Nigerian Diaspora bond and the creation of the Nigerian Diaspora Commision to be headed by Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa. He also highlighted the fact that Mr. President in recognition of the importance of the Nigerian Diaspora always organizes meetings with Nigerian Diasporans in every country he visits.
Other Diaspora organizations, support groups, and development agencies that participated in this inaugural conference include the United Nations Development Program 9UNDP) The African Development Bank (ADB) Nigerian in Diaspora Organization (NIDO) branched from the Americas, Europe, and Asia , Life and Times Media Group, Hollywood CA, The Central Association of Nigerians in the United Kingdom, The Nigerian Canadian Business Network, The U.S. Nigerian-Trade Network etc.
The great success of this event in large part is an affirmation of the fruitful relationship currently subsisting between the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora and the various Diaspora organizations.
The formal section of the summit ended with a very entertaining gala on the night of Thursday, December 28th, 2018
Click on links below to view online photo albums of the summit:
Conference Day 1
https://qq0u.app.link/e/KpdW8l2icS
Day 2- Visit of H.E. Prof. Yemi Osinbajo to the Life & Times Exhibition Booth
https://qq0u.app.link/e/OoI9MopqdS
More pictures coming shortly
Kudos on this timely conference- we need to harness the potentials of the Nigerian Diaspora in full
Kudos to Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Mama Diaspora!
Great job by the SSA to PMB on Diaspora in conjunction with NIDAN- let’s unlock the potential of the Nigerian Diaspora to assist in national development
Good job Mama Diaspora.
Let this not end up just as another talk shop- let concrete actions come from it
This conference comes at a time it is needed most- a time of national economic paralysis. One hopes it will help in the efforts to revive the Nigerian economy
PMB is the most Diaspora friendly President Nigerian has ever had- he has created the Nigerian Diaspora commision & he makes it a point of duty at every foreign visit to meet Nigerians in Diaspora living in that country. Kudos to PMB